The present invention relates generally to compositions that can be used for grouting of tile and the like, and as fillers and thick coatings for use with other types of building materials, and more particularly relates to rapid curing premixed compositions containing a rapid curing acrylic-based polymer, a silicone emulsion, and a silane, that can be used as grout, filler or thick coating.
Tile installation commonly involves grouting of the tile with a water-based cementitious grout typically prepared by mixing a cementitious powder with water immediately prior to application of the grout. Mixing of the cementitious powder with water is typically messy, and the success of the grouting application is highly dependent upon using the correct proportions of cementitious powder and water, and the proper amount of mixing and “slaking” time. Slaking involves allowing the mixture to rest before a final mixing so that the water can thoroughly penetrate and chemically combine with the cementitious powder and other elements (e.g. dyes, pigments, binders, solids, etc.) causing the powder and various elements to become wetted and to better develop. Furthermore, obtaining acceptable color uniformity with cementitious grouts is commonly a major challenge, since cementitious grouts are prone to efflorescence, typically a buildup of a visible, white powdery substance at the surface of grout joints, and since the final cured color of a grout is sensitive to absorption by tile and substrates, as well as environmental and weather conditions. Additionally, cementitious grouts commonly have poor stain resistance, and must be treated with topical sealers to resist staining.
Premixed grouts are typically more convenient to use than cementitious grouts, since they come ready to use and do not need to be mixed with water or other components prior to use. Accordingly, application time can be reduced with wetting, mixing, and slaking steps eliminated. Premixed grouts are especially beneficial for color consistency and stain resistance. However, conventional premixed grouts do not harden as fast as cementitious grouts, and often require many days to cure properly.
One known tile grout composition is a water-based epoxy grout composition that employs a water dispersible epoxy polymer and a water compatible polyamine epoxy resin adduct as a curing agent in combination with a water repellent component. Another known grout composition includes naturally rounded colored quartz particles and a water-borne polyurethane. Another known polymer composition for flexibilizing building materials includes a water-insoluble, film-forming polymer of one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers capable of free radical polymerization, a water-soluble polymer of one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers capable of free radical polymerization, along with ionic and nonionic emulsifiers, and a mixture of at least two organosilicon compounds.
A fast hardening aqueous coating composition and paint is also known, including about 95-99 percent by weight of an anionically stabilized aqueous emulsion of a copolymer having a Tg of from about 0° C. to about 40° C., about 0.2 to about 5 percent by weight of a polyimine; and about 0.2 to about 5 percent by weight of a volatile base. Also known are aqueous silicone dispersions that are crosslinkable into an elastomeric state on removal of water, for the production of elastomeric silicone seals. A shelf-stable fast-cure aqueous coating is also known that contains an anionically stabilized latex, a polyfunctional amine and a volatile base in an amount sufficient to deprotonate the conjugate acid of the amine.
Moisture resistance is a key performance attribute of tile grouts, such that they can be used in showers, tub surrounds, kitchens and other areas with intermittent or continual wetness. There remains a need for rapid curing compositions that attain sufficient ultimate hardness and moisture resistance for use in grouting of tile and the like, and as fillers and thick coatings for use with other types of building materials. It is therefore desirable to provide compositions that can be used for grouting of tile and the like, and as fillers and thick coatings for use with other types of building materials, that cure rapidly and attain an improved ultimate hardness and moisture resistance.
Another key performance attribute of tile grouts is “cleanability.” Typically following application of grout between adjacent tiles in a tile assembly comprising a plurality of tiles (typically arranged in a geometric pattern), even after the grout has been smoothed and excess grout has been removed from the edges of the tiles, a thin residue of grout will remain on the surface of the tiles that must be cleaned from the tile surface before the applied grout completely dries and sets. If this thin residue of grout cannot be cleaned from the surface of the tiles before the thin residue of grout completely dries and sets, the thin residue of grout will become a dirty film on the surface of the tiles that can be extremely difficult to remove without damaging the tiles. While cleanability with respect to grout can be used to refer to how easily grout can be cleaned of soil or stains after it has completely dried and set, as used herein, the term cleanability refers to how easily and completely a residue of a grout composition can be removed from a tile surface following application between tiles (which inevitably results in some undesirable residual application to the tile surfaces) and before the grout composition completely dries and sets, without removing the grout composition from between adjacent tiles in a tile assembly. In this context, good cleanability means that, following application of a grout composition to a tile assembly, the grout composition can be cleaned thoroughly and easily from the tile surface without removing the grout composition from a grout line formed by the grout composition between adjacent tiles in the tile assembly. It would be desirable to provide premixed compositions that can be used for grouting of tile and the like with an improvement in this type of cleanability, which can be critical when premixed compositions also have rapid curing properties, which inevitably correlates with an increased tendency by such compositions to adhere more strongly to tile surfaces. The present invention meets these and other needs.